Take Me by the Hand and Love Me
by WriterLiz
Summary: The younger Gilmore needs her mother's help...but for Lorelai to help her daughter she will need the help of someone else...can she finally see behind his coffee-serving instincts at this crucial time? L/L (joint fic by Friendsfan and Sleeping Star)


TITLE: Take Me by the Hand and Love Me  
  
DISCLAIMER: We own nothing, as sad as that may sound.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay guys, this is our first joint-fic together, written across the world! Yup, between Canada and Australia! So don't be too harsh! Lol. So now that you've made it into our actual story, please read and leave any comments!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
"One..." Lorelai said eagerly as Kirk walked in, only to receive a withering glance from Rory in return.  
  
"Two.." Lorelai said more loudly then before to distract Rory as she noticed Dean approach the diner out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Three...." Lorelai purposely stretched the number, a mischievous grin on her face as he walked in.  
  
"Sold!!!" Rory laughed as she jumped up to meet Dean.  
  
Dean greeted Rory with a kiss. Lorelai grinned at him. "Hey Dean," she said cheerfully as he looked at the pair questioningly.  
  
Rory stifled a laugh and pulled Dean out of the diner. "You don't want to know," she said jokingly on her way out the door.  
  
"So cancel one of the burgers?" Luke asked as he approached Lorelai.  
  
"Yup, I'd say so." She sighed wistfully as she watched Rory and Dean walk away outside.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"So... Are we still on for tonight?" Dean asked.  
  
Rory hesitated. "I think so... it depends if I can fit you into my schedule." Dean laughed.  
  
"Of course," Rory said.  
  
"I'll pick you up tonight at seven." Dean said. "I love you, Rory."  
  
He kissed her on the lips. "Love you too," Rory replied, touching her lips as he went to his car  
  
Rory waited till his car disappeared down the road before slowly making her way back in the diner, where Lorelai was already digging into her burger.  
  
"Hey, where's mine?" Rory complained as she reclaimed her seat by Lorelai, who only looked at her amusedly as she offered her daughter a chip.  
  
"I don't want a chip!" Rory replied, as she stole Lorelai's burger off her plate.  
  
Luke looked at them from over the counter, secretly smiling as he mentally counted in his head.  
  
'And 1, 2, 3...'  
  
"Lukey!!! Another burger please!"  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Rory!" Lorelai called up the stairs.  
  
"Yeah?" Rory replied.  
  
"Where's Dean?" Lorelai asked.  
  
Rory came down the stairs, and was looking worried. "I'm not sure... but he's usually never late."  
  
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. There was still no Dean, and Rory had been developing a stomach ache. Something was wrong. Something was wrong but she couldn't tell what it was.  
  
"Rory, sweetie?" Lorelai emerged from the kitchen to find her daughter unmoved from her place on the couch. "Why don't you try ringing his cell phone again? Or maybe his house this time?"  
  
Rory looked up at her mum, her eyes shining from unshed tears as she nodded silently, not trusting her voice.  
  
Shakily she rang the house.  
  
It kept ringing, and ringing, and ringing. "Dean!" Rory screamed into the phone. "Answer, dammit!" She hung up the phone.  
  
Lorelai hugged her. "It's probably nothing, honey. Maybe he got hung up with something or something like that."  
  
Rory nodded, wanting to believe her mom so badly.  
  
But as the pair sat together with Lorelai's arms around Rory in an attempt to comfort her or ease her trembling, even the elder Gilmore was feeling discouraged.  
  
"Where is he, mum?" Rory whispered after another ten minutes. "Why didn't he turn up?"  
  
"Were you-" Lorelai began before she was cut off by Rory, who leapt off the couch in worried agitation.  
  
"No, mum! You saw us today; tell me, did that look like a fight to you?!"  
  
The phone rang and Rory jumped.  
  
"I'll get it in the kitchen," Lorelai replied comfortingly. If it was what she was expecting, Rory couldn't take this call.  
  
A few minutes later, her fears were confirmed. Dean had gotten into a car accident... And he was dead. Dead... How could he be dead? How could she tell Rory??  
  
"Sweetie?" Lorelai tentatively came out of the kitchen, her eyes bloodshot.  
  
Rory anxiously stood up. "Who was it?"  
  
Lorelai came over to Rory and took her hands. "Listen, you're going to have to be brave, okay? Dean was in a car accident."  
  
Rory just sat there in shock. "Is he-is he okay?" she asked quietly, almost afraid to hear the answer.  
  
"Ror-" Lorelai trailed off as she shook her head, gathering the trembling girl in her arms. Rory began to break down, her shoulders racking with sobs. "No, this can't be happening," she thought in despair.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Lorelai gazed solemnly into her coffee. It had been two days since Dean's accident, and Rory had buried herself in her room.  
  
Sighing heavily, she glanced over at the half-full coffee pot beside her. Maybe if....  
  
"Rory?" she called quietly as she got up from her chair and knocked softly on Rory's door. "Rory, can I come in?"  
  
When she got no answer, she took a deep breath and ventured in.  
  
The sight of Rory made her heart want to break. She hadn't showered in two days and her eyes were swollen from tears.  
  
"Oh sweetie," Lorelai muttered despairingly, going over to Rory and embracing her tightly and rubbing her back. "Oh, honey..."  
  
"It's not fair," Rory whimpered quietly, relishing in her mother's comfort. "It's not fair, mom."  
  
"I know, sweetie, I know," Lorelai smoothed back Rory's hair and planted a kiss on her forehead.  
  
Rory was busy crying on Lorelai's shoulder. Lorelai started to cry too, the first time she had since Dean had left. Why him? Why did it have to be Dean? It wasn't fair... life wasn't fair. Lorelai sighed again and she kissed Rory, who clutched her tightly. Soon, Rory began to fall into a fitful sleep.  
  
After a couple of moments, Lorelai gently laid Rory's head back down onto her pillow and lovingly covered her with the blanket before making her way out of the room quietly, feeling even more helpless than she had felt earlier. For the first time, Rory was hurt and needed some shelter from the pain, but Lorelai couldn't give it to her.  
  
Once back in the kitchen, Lorelai carefully cleaned up after her coffee, which had now gone cold. She knew what she needed. Picking up the phone, she dialed Luke's number as she walked out onto the front verandah, careful not to wake Rory.  
  
Luke picked up the phone. "Hello?" he asked in the gruff voice Lorelai had grown to love.  
  
"Luke?" Lorelai said, falling apart.  
  
"Lor? What it is? What's wrong?" his voice held a note of urgency. Was it about her? About Rory? What??  
  
"It's Dean... he was in a car accident. Luke, he died, and Rory's heartbroken. She hasn't done anything in days and I don't know how to help. But I need help too..."  
  
Luke stood there, shocked. "I'll be right there."  
  
No more than five minutes had passed before a large truck pulled up in the driveway.  
  
"Lorelai!" Luke called as he jumped out and made his way over to Lorelai, who got up off the porch swing immediately.  
  
"Oh, God, Luke, thank you so much for-" she began before Luke put an arm around her shoulders and led her back inside.  
  
"Where is she?" he whispered, closing the door behind him.  
  
"She's in her room, asleep." Lorelai answered sullenly, unable to look at Luke in the eye, fearing she could break down at any moment. Without another word, Luke enveloped Lorelai in a big hug.  
  
For the first time in two days, Lorelai allowed to fall apart in Luke's arms. He soothed her and talked quietly to her... Trying desperately to comfort her.  
  
Soon, she haltingly told him, between shaky breaths how that day had happened and how Rory reacted. Luke listened painfully to the story, even though it was hard to bear. He hugged her again, and Lorelai laid her head on Luke's.  
  
She was about to doze off when they heard a bloodcurdling scream.  
  
~~*~~  
  
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